Eberhard opened his eyes to the chill of dawn still far from breaking.
The fire beside him had burned down to faint embers, and the grass was damp with mist. For a moment, he felt warmth near his side where Marin had been the night before, but when he turned, she was gone.
He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. The camp was silent. Only the soft snores of sleeping students filled the air.
"Marin?" he whispered, glancing around.
No answer.
He stood, brushing dirt from his clothes, and checked the tents nearby. She wasn't anywhere. He looked beyond the camp toward the ghost town.
She wouldn't just leave, he thought. Would she?
Eberhard walked a few meters into the mist, calling her name again. The air was still, carrying only the faint creak of old wooden beams and the sound of his own footsteps.
He searched several minutes, peering into shadowed alleys, until his breath grew heavy.
After nearly half an hour, he gave up and returned to camp. Maybe she couldn't sleep and went exploring.
The thought didn't comfort him, but he forced himself to lie down again. His body was exhausted, and before long, sleep dragged him back into silence.
When he opened his eyes again, the sun was already climbing through the fog. The Ether group was gathered in the center of camp.
People were whispering, yawning, or checking their supplies.
Eberhard quickly noticed that Marin still hadn't returned.
"Has anyone seen Marin?" he asked quietly.
A few people shook their heads. Lys, the group leader, stood at the front with Irmina, the strategist, reviewing a map spread across a wooden crate.
"We'll discuss that later," Lys said, her tone clipped. "We can't delay the mission."
Eberhard frowned. "She didn't come back last night."
Irmina looked up. "We'll send someone to check her tent, but for now, we have a schedule. The relic's likely inside one of the central structures. It might be buried or guarded."
Lys nodded and began explaining their plan. "We'll divide the thirty members into smaller teams of five. Each will explore a section of the town. Look for signs of movement, tools, or anything metallic. Eberhard, you'll document everything we find."
He nodded quietly. The role suited him since he was used to watching rather than leading.
Lys continued, tracing her finger across the map. "Our main concern is the enemy. The briefing mentioned no living beings, but rumors say this town's haunted. Whether it's true or not, assume danger. Irmina and I will check the central structure. You, Eberhard, record any discovery. We need details."
Eberhard's pen hovered over his notebook as he wrote. Team division confirmed. Goal: retrieve relic. Unknown threat: possible entity.
After a few minutes of strategizing, Lys folded the map. "That's all. Everyone, prepare to move. And if you see Marin, report immediately."
The students dispersed into their groups, the morning fog still clinging to the streets.
Eberhard was paired with two students he had barely met.
One of them was Thibault, a tall boy with bright blue hair and an awkward grin, and the other one was a quiet girl named Rina who carried a short staff.
Thibault broke the silence first. "So, Recorder Weiss, huh? You're the one who made that metal-shooting stick, right?"
Eberhard nodded. "A gun. Yes."
Thibault laughed nervously. "That thing was loud! That nearly made me drop my bag."
"Sorry about that."
They walked deeper into the town. The streets were narrow, lined with decaying walls and the faint smell of rot. Thibault tripped over a fallen beam at least twice.
Rina sighed. "You should watch your feet."
"I am!" he said defensively, then stumbled again a second later.
Eberhard couldn't help but smile faintly.
Despite everything, Thibault's clumsiness made the eerie silence easier to bear.
After half an hour, they reached what seemed to be an old administrative building. Its door was half-rotted, and faint carvings of symbols covered its surface.
"This looks big," Thibault said, squinting. "Maybe the relic's inside?"
"Possibly," Eberhard replied. He stepped forward, pushing the door open. It creaked loudly, sending dust into the air.
Inside, the floorboards groaned under their weight. Old papers and broken furniture littered the rooms. Sunlight filtered through cracks in the roof, scattering across the ruined hallway.
They searched one room after another.
"Hey, Weiss," Thibault said suddenly. "Do you think Marin's okay?"
Eberhard paused. The question hit him unexpectedly. "I don't know. She was gone when I woke up."
"She seemed nice," Thibault continued. "Maybe she's just scouting ahead."
"Maybe."
But Eberhard didn't believe it. Something in his chest told him otherwise.
They entered the last corridor. There were several doors still intact. Dust hung thick in the air, and faint footprints marked the floor.
Eberhard's pulse quickened. "Someone's been here," he whispered.
Rina tightened her grip on her staff. "Marin?"
He didn't answer.
Slowly, he reached for the nearest door and pushed it open.
The hinges screeched.
Inside was a small room with a collapsed ceiling. The air was heavy, almost suffocating. A broken lantern lay near the wall, and beside it—
Eberhard froze.
There was a body lying on the floor.
His notebook fell from his hand.
For a moment, his mind refused to process what his eyes saw. The world seemed to slow. The color drained from his vision.
The hair, the familiar black strands, the white uniform of the Ether group, and the faint smile that would never return.
"Marin…"
He took a step forward, then another, kneeling beside her. Her skin was pale, almost blue. Her eyes were half-open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"No… no, no…" His voice trembled as he touched her shoulder. She was cold.
Thibault and Rina appeared behind him, their faces draining of color the moment they saw the horrific sight.
"Is that—?"
Eberhard didn't answer. His hands shook violently. "She was just here last night… we talked… she was fine…"
Rina covered her mouth, fighting a sob. "What happened to her?"
He looked closer. There were faint bruises on her neck, and her hand clutched a torn piece of fabric. It was someone else's uniform.
"Someone killed her," Eberhard whispered.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Thibault stumbled back, shaking his head.
"No way..."
Eberhard didn't respond. His thoughts race. She was just telling her story of entering of Blackfen Academy...
Now, she lay lifeless on the floor of a ruined town.
It didn't make sense. None of it did.
He clenched his fists.
"She didn't deserve any of this!"
Rina crouched beside him.
"We have to tell the others."
Eberhard looked at her blankly. "Tell them what? That someone among us might have done this?"
Thibault swallowed hard. "Then what do we do?"
Eberhard's voice was distant. "We find out who."
He picked up his notebook, flipping it open with trembling fingers. His pen pressed against the page, but instead of writing, his hand simply hovered there.
The ink bled into the paper, forming a small dark spot.
He whispered, "I'll record everything..."
The others stayed silent.
After a long pause, Eberhard reached out and closed Marin's eyes gently.
For a moment, the world outside seemed to fade. It was just him and the cold silence of death.
He stayed like that for several minutes before finally standing.
"Let's go," he said quietly. "We'll bring her back."
They carried her body out of the room and into the sunlight. The rest of the Ether group saw them from afar. Shock spread quickly across their faces as the reality sank in.
Lys ran forward, eyes wide. "What happened?!"
Eberhard didn't answer. He simply looked at her with empty eyes, the kind that had seen too much.
Irmina stepped closer, her voice trembling.
"Is she…?"
Eberhard nodded slowly. "She's gone."
No one spoke after that. Only the sound of the wind moving through the ruins filled the space where her voice used to be.
For Eberhard, the silence felt heavier than any battle.
Last night, she said she wanted to save people.
Now, he could only wonder if the world she dreamed of saving was already too broken to be saved at all.